I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to refuse vehicles, particularly to dedicated side-loading, rear discharging refuse vehicle bodies capable of both manual and automated loading. More particularly, the invention relates to such vehicle bodies incorporating new compacting and ejecting mechanisms. The ejector provides full ejection of the packed contents of the body without the need for tipping the truck body as refuse is discharged. A charging hopper is provided having a floor and sidewalls lowered to facilitate manual loading in addition to optional automated loading using a mounted container handling mechanism. A low profile reciprocating packer panel moves refuse from the lowered or “dropped area” of the receiving hopper into a vehicle body storage enclosure through a bottom opening accessed from the hopper dropped area. A vertically pivoting packer-ejector assist panel is provided to clear the dropped area during ejection and optionally assist packing if desired.
II. Related Art
Refuse hauling trucks commonly include a heavy-duty chassis and a hollow truck body mounted on the chassis dedicated to receiving, compacting, discharging refuse materials. This combination generally includes all the associated hydraulic, pneumatic and/or electrical operating mechanisms associated with heavy-duty packing and ejection equipment. In side loading system, the truck cab is located in front of the receiving hopper which charges a rear storage enclosure. Refuse to be hauled is loaded into the receiving hopper as by dumping containers either manually or using a mechanized container handling device mounted on the charging hopper or truck chassis. A packing device including a reciprocating or rotating ram, usually hydraulically operated, compacts the material moving it rearward into the storage compartment. Loading of the charging hopper is accomplished through side openings. The bottom or floor of the charging hopper typically is located at a height equal to or above that of the storage enclosure.
It is known to provide a front or side loading refuse vehicle with a packing and ejecting mechanism that packs refuse from a charging hopper into an associated hollow storage enclosure and later fully ejects the refuse from the storage enclosure. An example of such a refuse truck body system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,822. It is also known to provide a side loading refuse vehicle having a recessed or dropped receiving hopper floor and chassis relative to a storage body floor to enable material receiving opening to start correspondingly closer to the ground to facilitate the manual loading of the receiving hopper. An example of this type truck body is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,628.
It is also known to provide a mechanized lifting and emptying apparatus situated on one side of the receiving hopper such that a container of interest may be engaged on that side and emptying through the material receiving opening into the receiving hopper. Such an apparatus typically includes a holding or grasping device generally connected to an arm or extensible boom which is connected, in turn, to a base mounted on the vehicle. The arm or boom and grasping device are operated in concert to engage the container of interest, lift and dump the container into the receiving hopper in the vehicle. Such systems are typically operated using one or more hydraulic devices to extend or retract the boom, pivot the arm and open and close the grabbing device. Examples of such booms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,657,654, 5,769,592 and 5,931,628 (mentioned above).
While the prior devices of the related art have met with a certain amount of success, there remains a definite need for a mechanically simplified, lower maintenance full eject side loading refuse collection truck body that offers both manual and automated loading in which the packer is constructed in a manner which cannot interfere with the loading of refuse and which includes a full-eject ejection mechanism which allows full emptying of the storage chamber of the truck body without the need for tipping.